the
imminent risk of his own neck, and compromising the sublunary welfare of
a swarm of children that were basking in the hot sand in utter defiance
of parental authority and of all passengers, bipedal or quadrupedal. Not
long after he had gone, Isabella threw her veil over her head, and
tripped, with a palpitating heart, towards Dame Juanita's house, which
she entered by a back passage well known to herself, and sat down in the
little room behind the shop. In a moment the good dame made her
appearance, her face literally shining with pleasure.

"I have seen him, senorita! I have seen him and spoken with him."

"Seen him! seen whom?" gasped Isabella, but blushing rosy red at the
same time.

"Ah, senorita, you know whom," said Juanita, "that handsome American
that you used to meet here a year ago nearly."

As the young lady sat with her back towards the shop-door, and was
besides eagerly drinking in all Juanita's news, she did not perceive
that a man had entered the room. A gentle voice that thrilled to her
heart pronounced her name; she turned, uttered a shriek, and fell
fainting into the arms of Morton.

Excessive joy did, in ancient times and in one or two instances, prove
fatal; but I suspect that the world has grown more wicked, or the human
heart less susceptible, for I doubt whether there is any body now alive
who has ever experienced a sufficient degree of pleasure at once to do
more than agitate the nerves for a few minutes.

Isabella soon recovered her senses, partly from the effects of cold
water sprinkled upon her face by the tender-hearted Juanita, and perhaps
there might be something reviving in a soft kiss that the young seaman
could not avoid dropping upon her lips as he supported her in his arms.
I have already intimated my incompetency to describe a parting scene
between two lovers, for reasons then specified: a tender meeting is
liable to the same objections. Such things should always be left to the
reader's imagination; for it is ten chances to one if the author's
description pleases any body, not even himself.

After the first emotions of meeting had subsided, Isabella informed her
lover of her uncle's promise, and that she was free from all persecution
with regard to Don Gregorio. Morton, on the other hand, communicated to
her all that had passed between his father and himself. "So that you
see, dearest Isabella, if you had consented to go home with me as I
urged, we might at this moment be